NBC/WSJ poll shows Obama approval at new low of 41%

posted at 8:01 am on March 12, 2014 by Ed Morrissey

The downward trajectory of Barack Obama’s approval ratings continues, this time in one of the friendliest poll series the White House enjoys. The President plunged to a new low in the NBC/WSJ poll approval ratings, with a 41/54 gap that aligns well with most other recent polling (except for a 48/48 tie in the latest Bloomberg poll). The bigger issue for Democrats is that voters are more inclined to use the midterms to punish Obama than praise him — and that may be a longer-term problem than just the midterms:

Barack Obama and his Democratic Party are facing difficult political headwinds less than eight months before November’s midterm elections, according to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.

Obama’s job-approval rating has dropped to a low point of 41 percent, never a good position for the party controlling the White House;

By a 33 percent to 24 percent margin, Americans say their vote will be to signal opposition to the president rather than to signal support, though 41 percent say their vote will have nothing to do about Obama;

Forty-eight percent of voters say they’re less likely to vote for a candidate who’s a solid supporter of the Obama administration, versus 26 percent who say they’re more likely to vote for that candidate;

And Republicans hold a one-point edge over Democrats on which party registered voters prefer to control Congress, 44 percent to 43 percent. While that’s within the poll’s margin of error, Republicans have traditionally fared well in elections when they’ve held a slight lead on this question.

“The wind is in our face,” says Democratic pollster Fred Yang of Hart Research, who conducted this survey with Republican pollster Bill McInturff. “There is an advantage for Republicans right now.”

If the wind is in the face of Democrats, it’s at gale force in this poll. The right/wrong direction was at 41/53 just before the 2012 election, which Obama barely won; it’s now 26/65. The approval rating for Obama is worse now than it was when HHS laid an egg last October with ObamaCare.

Obama’s approval on the economy slightly improved from December’s all-time low in this series of 39/58, but the 41/56 rating now is (a) a margin-of-error change, and (b) the second-worst of the series. His ratings on foreign policy have now dropped to an all-time low as well of 41/53, although it was 41/49 last August, during the Syrian “red line” debacle. This may be a better indicator of Obama’s fall from polling grace, too, since foreign policy had been a strong suit in his polling. August 2013’s poll was the first time in his presidency that those ratings had gone negative. Now they match his overall rating; the red line, ObamaCare, and now Russia seems to have stripped the illusions of competence from the eyes of respondents.

The problem for Obama and Democrats in this poll is that his personal likeability no longer keeps his overall numbers afloat. The “personal feelings” rating for Obama is now 41/44, with 15% neutral, in this poll. At the beginning of October, Obama scored 47/41, and before the August “red line” debacle it was 48/40. The “very positive” rating in this survey of 21% is the lowest of the series; a year ago it was 30%, and at the time of the last election it was 34%.

This might not be the only election in which Democrats find the wind in their faces, either. A year ago, Hillary Clinton’s personal favorability was 56/29, with 32% very positive about the recently-retired Secretary of State and only 15% very negative. Those poll results came seven months after Benghazi, too. Today it’s 41/34, and 23/22 on the “very” ratings for the presumptive 2016 front-runner, respectively. If you need evidence of just how big a boat anchor Obama may be on his fellow Democrats, one need look no further than that change.

Breaking on Hot Air

Blowback

Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.

That Hillary number is not good news for the Dems. Just wait til she starts campaigning. Her godawful appearance and that shrill voice will drive the numbers down even more.
Doughboy on March 12, 2014 at 8:17 AM

She lost the 2008 nomination to a neophyte dilettante with nothing but vague “hopenchange” slogans.

She is an awful candidate. The only person she would beat would be John McCain.

Why? because gas is consistently over 3$ a gallon? because people are losing their health insurance? because the work force participation rate continues to drop? true inflation? over regulation? agency politicization? surveillance of population?

Why? because gas is consistently over 3$ a gallon? because people are losing their health insurance? because the work force participation rate continues to drop? true inflation? over regulation? agency politicization? surveillance of population?

” The President plunged to a new low in the NBC/WSJ poll approval ratings, with a 41/54 gap…”

The split in that poll was 43 dumbocrat, 37 Republican. Weight the thing correctly, and you’re looking at Earflaps the Feckless in the high 30’s- say 36 or 37% approval.

Which is still way, WAY too high. Amazing what 5 years of full on propaganda puffery can do for the reputation of a complete imbecile.

As for the moron in the White House’s signature “accomplishment”, check out the WSJ link about idiotcare’s individual mandate being secretly pushed back to 2016. What again is this steaming pile of law supposed to doing?

It’s absolutely amazing how many racists are coming out of the closet these days. Who knew that so many Americans were seething that a black man was in the White House?

Seriously, when you factor out the stupid people who will vote for Obama because he is black, a Demonrat, or whatever; you’re probably in single digits in terms of public approval. And I suspect that doesn’t include a lot of swing voters in flyover country. Dems have a problem no matter how much they are trying to spin last night’s loss as a battle well fought in a tough Republican district.

I have never understood this “personal likability” issue with Obama. This man is cold, calculating, hateful, divisive, petty. If you still think he is likable then that says you agree with his agenda and that says you yourself have a problem. As Rush says this man isn’t cool, he’s cold. He should be at 22/78 because of the minority populations blind devotion to him. I hope that before this idiot leaves office the numbers are that low. On another note FREE SCHAD

Chuck Todd just told me on MSNBC that Obama’s approval rating is due to him being on the receiving end of people’s dissatisfaction with Republican intransigence. I kid you not. Flora Duh, you are so right to avoid that hot mess.

That Hillary number is not good news for the Dems. Just wait til she starts campaigning. Her godawful appearance and that shrill voice will drive the numbers down even more.
Doughboy on March 12, 2014 at 8:17 AM

She lost the 2008 nomination to a neophyte dilettante with nothing but vague “hopenchange” slogans.

She is an awful candidate. The only person she would beat would be John McCain.

As I posted on the QOTD, Obama gets back from a long golf weekend with the Yeti and brats on Monday, does a stupid comedy plug for Obamacare on Tuesday, and expects to be taken seriously as a credible world leader on Wednesday when he meets with the Ukrainian PM.

The world doesn’t work that way. His schedule this week exposes just how silly, lazy, stupid, and unserious the rat-eared wonder has become. That his poll numbers are dropping should come as no surprise.

Speaking of shrill voices, who can forget her “we have a right to debate and disagree with any administration” speech?

DinaRehn on March 12, 2014 at 8:39 AM

I wish I could erase that from my memory. Seriously though, the GOP needs to just run TV and radio spots with that sound clip endlessly in 2016. No hetero dude will ever vote for Hillary once that’s burned into their brain.

They were only able to ram.. excuse me.. Rahm through the Obamacare Fustercluck because of the perfect storm of the so-called ‘historic election’ of Barack the illegitimate, dog eater and ruler of all coupled to the end of the term of President George W. Bush…

National Socialist healthcare (aka Single payer) was a bridge too far for even that circumstance.

So now instead of the Fustercluck being a precursor to National Socialist healthcare, it will act as an anchor around the necks of the national left – couldn’t happen to a nice group of socialists.

I wish I could erase that from my memory. Seriously though, the GOP needs to just run TV and radio spots with that sound clip endlessly in 2016. No hetero dude will ever vote for Hillary once that’s burned into their brain.

Doughboy on March 12, 2014 at 8:45 AM

Yes, is there such a thing as ear bleach?

I would love it they just ran commercials with her arguing with herself with her “we have a right to debate and disagree with any administration” and her “What difference does it make”…..

BTW, everyone brace yourself for the load of barack (please excuse the bad language) onslaught of the ‘War on Women’ for our opposing Hillary… You know it’s coming.

By a 33 percent to 24 percent margin, Americans say their vote will be to signal opposition to the president rather than to signal support, though 41 percent say their vote will have nothing to do about Obama;are lying.

…as evidenced by the next sentence:

Forty-eight percent of voters say they’re less likely to vote for a candidate who’s a solid supporter of the Obama administration, versus 26 percent who say they’re more likely to vote for that candidate;

You can’t logically have 41% who say their vote will have nothing to do with Obama, and simultaneously have 74% (48+26) who are either more or less likely to vote for a candidate based upon their support of Obama.

I have never understood this “personal likability” issue with Obama. This man is cold, calculating, hateful, divisive, petty. If you still think he is likable then that says you agree with his agenda and that says you yourself have a problem.

neyney on March 12, 2014 at 8:37 AM

Obama’s statement about being a “blank slate” is absolutely correct; he simply acts the way that the vast and overwhelming majority of “progressives” do.

I think by now it should be apparent that Obama voters somehow manage to combine ignorance and malice into one toxic package.

In other news, it been determined that the current Percentage of people in the country who are receiving loot and/or don’t want to be thought of as RACIST stands at 41%

DinaRehn on March 12, 2014 at 8:25 AM

Obama receives an extraordinary boost from his being black. Imagine what the polls would look like if Obama were a white Democrat. I bet he’d be in the 20s because he’d be tanking with blacks, he’d be trending down with Hispanics, and he’d enjoy no white-guilt support. Only the greens, the gays, and the other anti-Americans would be backing him.

Do any of y’all ever wonder what kind of metrics these people (the 41%) use? Absolutely mind boggling.

anuts on March 12, 2014 at 8:46 AM

I know it is hard to believe but I have friends who can talk sports 24/7 and when the subject of politics comes up….they walk away as they don’t care. Also, my engineers don’t seem much interested in either sports or politics.

If they vote, they make up their mind based on non political subjects/policies.

These folks are very smart…they just ain’t got a political bone in their bodies. They are independent in that…….they are independent of any political thought.